


Galra Don't Kiss

by captainkaltar



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Height Differences, POV Zarkon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 01:41:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11957031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainkaltar/pseuds/captainkaltar
Summary: Zarkon tries to express his feelings for Honerva, but she's got plans of her own.A little bit of pre-canon Zargar fluff I wrote for the Galra Mini Exchange.





	Galra Don't Kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aretia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aretia/gifts).



The hardest part of a battle was the wait before it all began. Knowing you were going to fight, knowing you were going to kill, unable to tell how it would all end. The combat itself was easy, at least from a mental standpoint; he had always found it came naturally to him. His mind slipped into a focused state, and nothing else mattered, nothing else existed but his immediate surroundings, his enemies and allies around him. As long as he could stand the wait, everything was alright in the end. 

 

But curses, this kind of waiting was even worse. 

 

He rehearsed what he wanted to say over and over in his mind, but nothing seemed right. _Honerva, have you got a varga?_ No, wait, that was the wrong measurement. He had yet to properly wrap his head around Altean time, but then to be fair, she hadn’t wrapped hers around Galra. _Honerva, I need to talk to you._ No, too serious. _Honerva, I think you’re more beautiful than_ \- absolutely not, that was all wrong. And yet it was true, she _was_ the most beautiful person he’d ever known, and the most intelligent too. But he couldn’t tell her that right away. No self-respecting Galra would. Why was this so difficult, why? 

 

He didn’t realize he’d begun to pace until the door behind him opened with a mechanical whirr. “My lord, you wished to speak to me?” He spun around, his cloak swishing around his legs as he turned to face the small figure in the doorway, strands of blue-grey hair falling from her bun and framing her face. It always did that when she’d spent a long day focused on her research. He was still learning about how hair worked; his own species had fur sometimes, but the long, flowing stuff Alteans wore on their heads was new and unknown to him. 

 

“No! I mean, I was just passing by, and- yes, yes I’d like to talk to you, please.” He lowered his eyes, not wanting to meet her gaze. Curses, he was off to a horrible start. 

 

“About what?” 

 

“Well, I- I wanted to check in on how the Quintessence experiments were running, maybe take a look at the rift.” 

 

“You observed the rift yesterday, my lord, it hasn’t changed since then. And the Quintessence is still at full power.” She folded her arms, defensive. 

 

“Well then,” He fiddled with the clasp of his cape. “I- I must go.” He was about to turn when a small hand alighted on his shoulder, and he looked down to find Honerva standing on tiptoe before him. Stars above, she was tiny! 

 

“Wait my lord, please.” Her eyes were so large and liquid, bright gold like the glowing energy weapons his people used to fight with long ago. 

 

“But I said I must go-“

 

“You always say that. Every time we start talking one-on-one, something happens and you get that look in your eyes and play with your cloak fastener.” He was acutely aware that her hand hadn’t left his shoulder. 

 

“I- it’s- it’s just that-“ He cut himself off abruptly as she raised her hand up to his cheek, her fingers carefully brushing his skin. He froze, standing stiff as a spearhead. 

 

“Stay here for a while, my lord.” 

 

“What for?” He blurted out, trying to move her hand away, but only succeeding in tangling their fingers together. Great Maker, how did Alteans manage to get anything done with hands so small? He stared at their entwined fingers, realizing that he’d never looked at an alien hand like this up close before. How could she tear food apart with such dull, rounded little claws? And the skin of her palms was so smooth and supple, unlike his own scaly hands. 

 

“The company, I suppose. I do have more work to do, but someone else in the room would be- well, it wouldn’t annoy me.” 

 

“Should I go sit somewhere, then?” He forced himself to look her in the eyes. 

 

“Yes, I think so.” She smiled, blowing fuses in his brain and rendering him speechless again. Who gave her the right? Who gave her the right to be so- so _lovely_? “But don’t go just yet. I need you to do something.” 

 

“I’ll- very well.” _I’ll do anything for you, Honerva_. But no, there was no way he could say that, not out loud. 

 

“Stand still.” Her other arm was around his neck now, her face hoisted up so she was almost, but not quite on a level with his own. He was about to open his mouth to speak, ask her what in the Maker’s name she was doing, but then her mouth was squished up against his own, her eyes closed as she pressed her mouth up to his leathery skin. 

 

Stars above! Was this some kind of Altean ritual? Why was her mouth so soft? Was this why Alteans had that fleshy pink stuff around their jaws, just for doing this? 

 

She was breathless when she pulled away, looking up him with those liquid eyes. Her cheeks were turning a dusky shade of red. A side effect, perhaps? 

 

“What was that?” His arm was around her waist, yet he had no memory of placing it there. “That thing you just did.” 

 

“A kiss?” She raised an eyebrow, a grin playing across her face. “You mean that you Galra don’t kiss?”

 

“I’ve never experienced anything like that before. What does it mean?” 

 

“It’s an Altean custom, my lord.” She covered her mouth, clearly trying not to laugh. “If aone of us kisses you, it means- it means they have feelings for you.” Despite the hesitation in her voice, she looked up at him boldly, not even the slightest hint of fear or apprehension in her face. 

 

Feelings. _Feelings!_ Clever, determined, brilliant Honerva had feelings for him! He hadn’t felt this much joy, this much energy rushing through him since the last time he’d been victorious in battle. 

 

“I think, if we’re to keep doing this, you can drop the title.” He reached out to tentatively play with her hair. She didn’t have any fur to groom, and her ears were small, too small for the sort of touching Galra mates used to express affection. But he would adapt, he would find ways to show this little alien alchemist he loved her. “Can I simply call you Honerva?” 

 

“Of course, my lo- Zarkon.” _My Zarkon_. That sounded strange. Strange, and yet somehow fitting, like an experiment with unexpected results that made everything fit together. 

 

“Honerva,” He spoke slowly, letting her name play around his tongue, enjoying it. “That ritual thing, the one with your mouth-“

 

“A kiss?” She laughed as she cupped his cheek, fingers brushing over his fangs and the tough, scaled skin around his mouth, harsh in comparison to her own plush lips. 

 

“Yes, the kiss. Can you do it again?” 

 

“Of course, my Zarkon.” She grinned, closing her eyes as she touched her lips to his mouth again, more slowly this time around, letting the kiss linger. He couldn’t purse his lips the way she could, but he could certainly tighten his arms around her waist and lift her high in his arms, his whole spirit soaring, rising like the endless stream of Quintessence in the rift behind them. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> @Aretia, I hope you enjoyed the fic! Sorry it took so long, Zarkon is a harder POV character to write than I expected T_T


End file.
